Safety appliance for mine-hoists.



W. E. HOUSMAN.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOB. MINE HOISTS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.30, 1912.

' Patented June 16, 1914.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 1.

o N a o u r h m o m o m m 5 O \o o \O I o I o F GE 0 O M, \O o o \m Q oo o o o a 0 UE o 0 INVENTOR COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.,wAsHlNu'mN, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER E. HOUSMAN, 0E SGOTTIDA'LE, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY APPLIANCE FOR MINE-I-IOISTS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER E. HOUSMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scottdale, in the county of Westmoreland and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Safety Appliance for Mine-Hoists, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to safety appliances used in connection with minehoists and more particularly relates to the construction of appliancesfor use at the ground level of such hoists.

One object of this invention is to provide apparatus for use on thehoists of mine shafts having means whereby the possibility of openingthe safety gates used at such mine hoists is overcome and prevented atall times, except when the mine cages are at the ground level or top ofthe mine shaft or hoist.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking device for thesafety gates at mine hoists having novel means whereby the gates areautomatically locked in their closed position at all times when the minecages are not in their raised position at the ground level or head ofthe mine shaft.

A further object of my invention is to provide a gate locking devicehaving novel operating mechanism whereby the latches for locking thesafety gates are actuated and released when the cages are in liftedposition at the top of the mine shaft or hoist.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming part of thisspecification, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation showing the novelsafety appliance and operating mecha' nism forming this invention asapplied for use in locking the safety gate in closed position at the topof a mine hoist. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of the apparatus shown inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail elevation, on an enlarged scale, showing thelatch device by which the safety gates are automatically locked inclosed position in accordance with this invention.

In the drawings, the numeral 2 designates a mine shaft or hoist in whichthe hoisting cage 3 is mounted. The sides of the shaft are provided withguides 4 for the cage 3 constructed and arranged in the usual manner.

The top of the cage 3 is equipped with rails 5 forming a track on thecage on which the mine cars are supported while being car- Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed January 30, 1912.

Patented June 16, 1914. Serial No. 674,253.

ried between the top and bottom of the shaft. The rails 5 are located tobe in alinement with the track rails 5 when the cage is in liftedposition at the top of the shaft and, when in lowered position, to be inline with the corresponding track rails located at the bottom of theshaft.

The top of the shaft is inclosed in such manner that the only entrancethereto is between the posts 6 and 6*, when the gate 7 1s swung into itsopen position. The gate 7 is hinged to the post 6 in the usual manner,so as to swing from the closed position shown in full lines in thedrawings into the dotted position shown, when entrance to the shaft fromthe top thereof is desired.

Secured to the post 6 is a latch 8 which is pivoted intermediate of itsends and on the adjoining end of the gate 7 a keeper 9 is secured, withwhich one end of the pivoted latch 8 engages in looking the gate in itsclosed position. The opposite end of the latch 8 is connected by a reachrod 10 to the outer end of one arm 11 on the bell crank 12 which ispivoted by the pin 13 to the pivot support 14.

Pivotally connected at a point intermediate of its ends to the outer endof the arm 12 of the bell crank 12 by a bolt 15 is a lever 16. The lowerend 16 of the lever 16 is pivoted to one end of a link or reach rod 17,and the opposite end of this reach rod is pivoted to one arm 18 of thebell crank 18. The bell crank 18 is pivoted at one side of the mineshaft 2, on a pin 19, so that the outer end 18 of the bell crank 18swings over the mouth or top of the shaft 2.

A counterweight 16 is provided on the arm 16 projecting from one side ofthe arm 16 so as to counterbalance and normally move and hold the levers16 and 22 in the position shown in the drawings.

The arm 11 on the bell crank 12 is provided with a counterweight 20,suspended therefrom, this counterweight being of sufficient size tomaintain the bell crank 12, the reach rod 10, and the latch 8 in itslocking position (that shown in the drawings), and prevent the latchbeing lifted manually by taking hold of the latch itself.

The outer end 18 of the bell crank 18 is located and arranged to swinginto engagement with the side of the mine cage 8 when the cage is in theposition shown at the top of the shaft, as will be readily seen byreference to Figs. 1 and 2. After the mine cage has been lowered a shortdistance in the shaft the lever arm 18?" will freely swing above theupper end of the mine shaft 2. The upper end of the latch operatinglever 16 is connected by means of the reach rod or link 21 to. the upperend of the lever arm 22, the arm 22 being pivoted by its lower end onthe outside of the inclosure surrounding the mine cage in position sothat the looking mechanism can be operated thereby.

l/Vhen the mine cage is at the top of the shaft in the position shown inthe drawings, the lever 16 is rocked about the pin 15 by pulling on thelever 22. The lower end of the lever 16 through the reach rod 17 swingsthe bell crank 18 until the outer end 18 of the bell crank strikes orengages with the side of the mine cage 3. The mine cage then acts as astop or heel so as to prevent further movement of the bell crank 18 andupon further movement of the hand lever 22 the bell crank 12 is moved soas to depress the outer end of the arm 11. This downward movement of thearm 11 depresses one end of the latch 8 through the medium of theconnecting reach rod 10, and lifts the latch out of engagement with thekeeper 9 on the gate 7 so as to release the gate and permit it to beswung outwardly on its hinges from the position shown in full lines inFig. 2 intothe position shown dotted in this figure.

When it is desired to lower the cage in the mine the first step is toclose the gate 7. The lever 22' is then again moved into the positionshown in the drawings which causes the latch to be again lowered intolocking engagement with the keeper 9 on the gate 7. The cage ofthe hoistis then lowered' into the shaft. of the mine and as long asthe cage isnot in itsupper or raised position, the; outer end 18 of, the bell crank18 cannot engage with the mine cage and will swing freely, when thelevers-22 and 16 are rocked or moved.

In the absence of the cage to form a stop for the bell crank 18, shouldthe lever 22 bezmoved from the position shown in Fig. 1, the lever 16will swing on the pin 15 and its lower end will through the reach rod 17move the bell crank 18. The outer end 18 of the bell crank 18 in suchcase will swing freely over the mouth of the shaft and not meeting withany obstruction, such as is afforded when the cage is in its raisedposition there will be no movement of the bell crankj1;1, so that thelever 16 will swing idly and it will be impossible to lift the latch 8until such time as the cage 3 is again brought to its raised position.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in theart. The apparatus is simple and is easily kept in repair. Byconstructing the locking apparatus as shown and described, a safety ap-'pliance for mine cages is provided which effectually prevents anypossibility of accident due to or caused by the gate remain- I ing openand thereby permitting access through the door way formed between the 5posts 6 and 6 when the cage is not at the top of the shaft, and thepossibility of miners or other workmen falling into the shaft is therebyavoided and overcome.

Modifications in the construction and arrangement of' the parts may bemade without departing from my invention as defined in the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A safety appliance for hoists comprising a. safety gate pivoted toswing into and out of closed position, means for securing the gate inclosed position, manually operated means for actuating the gate securingmeans, said manually operated means being operatively engaged by thehoist cage in moving the gate securing means to release the gate, andbeing freely movable but inoperatively connected to the gate securingmeans when disengaged from the hoist cage.

2. A safety appliance for hoists comprising a safety gate pivoted toswing into and out of closed position, means for securing the gate inclosed position, manually operated means for actuating the gate securingmeans, means on said manually operated means engaging the hoist cage inactuating the gate securing means to release the gate, said means beingarranged to permit movement of the manually operated means withoutreleasing the gate when the cage is not positioned at the top of thehoist.

3-. In a safety appliance for mine hoists, the combination with thehoist and a safety gate therefor of a latch to lock the gate in closedposition, a bell crank for actuating said latch to release the gate, ahand lever to actuate the bell crank, and means connected to said bellcrank arranged to engage with the mine cage in lifting the latch andcontrolling the gate releasing movement of said latch.

4. In a safety appliance for mine hoists, the combination with the hoistand a safety gate therefor of a latch to lock the gate in closedposition, a bell crank for actuating said latch to release the gate, ahand lever to actuate the bell crank, means on said bell crank forholding the latch in locking position, and means connected to said bellcrank arranged to engage with the mine cage in lifting the latch andcontrolling the gate releasingmovement of said latch.

5. A safety appliance for mine hoists comprising a safety gate therefor,a keeper on said gate, a latch engaging with said keeper to lock thegate in closed position, a bell crank operatively connected to saidlatch, a counterweight on said bell crank to hold the latch in lockedposition, a lever for actuating said bell crank to move the latch inreleasing the gate, and means connected to said lever engaging with themine cage in causing movement of said bell crank in lifting the latch.

6. A safety appliance for mine hoists comprising a safety gate therefor,a keeper on said gate, a latch engaging with said keeper to lock thegate in closed position, a bell crank operatively connected to saidlatch, a counterweight on said bell crank to hold the latch in lockedposition, a lever for actuafting said bell crank, and means connected tosaid lever operatively engaging with the mine cage to cause movement ofsaid bell crank in lifting the latch, said means being arranged to swingfreely without actuating the latch when the cage is lowered below thetop of the mine shaft.

7. In a safety appliance for hoists, the combination with the hoist anda swinging gate therefor pivoted to move into and out of closedposition, of means for locking the gate in closed position, and meansoperatively engaging with the hoist for manually actuating said lockingmechanism to release the gate when the hoist cage is positioned in frontof said gate, said operating means being constructed and arranged tomove idly when the cage is not positioned opposite the gate at the topof the hoist.

8. A safety appliance for hoists comprising a safety gate mounted tomove into and out of closed position, means for securing the gate inclosed position, and manually operated means for actuating the gatesecuring means, said manually operated means being operatively engagedby the hoist cage in moving the gate securing means to release the gate,and being freely movable but inoperatively connected to the gatesecuring means when disengaged from the hoist cage.

9. A safety appliance for hoists comprising a safety gate mounted tomove into and out of closed position, means for securing the gate inclosed position, manually operated means for actuating the gate securingmeans, and means on said manually operated means engaging the hoist cagein actuating the gate securing means to release the gate, said meansbeing arranged to permit movement of the manually operated means withoutreleasing the gate when the cage is not positioned at the top of thehoist.

10. In a safety appliance for hoists, the combination with the hoist anda gate therefor mounted to move into and out of closed position, ofmeans for locking the gate in closed position, and means operativelyengaging with the hoist for manually actuating said locking mechanism torelease the gate when the hoist cage is positioned in front of saidgate, said operating means being constructed and arranged to move idlywhen the cage is not positioned opposite the gate at the top of thehoist.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

WALTER E. HOUSMAN. Witnesses:

HARRY LAUGHREY, G. E. HINNEMAIER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

